Friday, December 18, 2009

WEEKEND PIC - Dec 18 - 20, 2009

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK:

a) AVATAR (sci-fi adventure with Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi) Rated * * * * (4 stars out of 4): A happy marriage of form and function, James Cameron has gone one up on his Titanic. The plot may be a bit derivative but the setting, in a futuristic and fictional planet of Pandora, is a visual feast. The action sequences, augmented by CGI and action-capture techniques, are mind-boggling especially in 3D (at selected cineplexes). Easily the Top 10 movies of 2009. (Reviewed below)

b) BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS (political drama with Donnie Yen, Fan Bingbing, Leon Lai, Nicholas Tse, Simon Yam and Tony Leung Ka-Fai) Not reviewed: From the buzz on the Internet, don't expect anyting like Donnie Yen's Ip Man-type of action. It leans more towards historical and political drama rather than kungfu action.

STILL GOING STRONG:

1. ZOMBIELAND (horror-comedy with Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin and Bill Murray) Rated * * * (3 stars out of 4): This 'Thriller'-like comedy is funny and engaging with some bizarre touches and a few jolts. We can't help but like Harrelson who seems to be having a whacking fun time in this movie. (Reviewed below)

2. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (animated fantasy with Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Jenifer Lewis, Keith David and Oprah Winfrey) Rated * * * (3 stars): It's back to the old hand-drawn cartoons with this 'contemporary take' on the classic fairy-tale. We have to admit that this is what the folks at Disney do best.

3. STORM WARRIORS (martial arts fantasy with Aaron Kwok, Charlene Choi, Ekin Cheng, Nicholas Tse, Simon Yam and Tang Yan) Rated * * * (3 stars): Like 2012, this Pang Brothers production is a CGI extravaganza for fans of the 1998 Storm Riders. The stunts and effects are impressive but they can also be confusing. (Reviewed below)

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About Me

At The Movies with Lim Chang Moh is the online version of movie reviews formerly published in The Malay Mail, arguably the longest running weekly column in Malaysia. The writer was Production Editor of The Malay Mail before retiring in 2006. He now contributes articles to magazines and does free-lance projects.